Appeals Court Hears Challenge To Male-Only Draft

Courthouse News reports:

An attorney for a men’s rights group argued Tuesday before the Fifth Circuit that the military’s all-male draft registration system, which the Supreme Court upheld in 1981, should now be struck down as unconstitutional.

Marc Angelucci, representing the National Coalition for Men and two men challenging the male-only draft, said a 2015 decision by the military to send women into combat roles should encourage the three-judge appeals court panel to rule that the draft should apply to women too.

This hearing came in advance of a report expected later this month on the draft. On March 25, a federal commission is expected to release its final report and recommendations, addressing issues such as whether a draft is still necessary and if women should be required to register for it.

Last year a lower court ruled that excluding women from registration requirements is unconstitutional.